


Wanna Watch a Vine Compilation?

by liddellmisswitch13



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Some Swearing, memes and vines are dating tools you know, mentions of Doc/Thatcher, this started out as a shitpost but evolved into a fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27854542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liddellmisswitch13/pseuds/liddellmisswitch13
Summary: It started off with an offer by Ace to watch a Vine compilation with Maverick, which then evolved into a deeper connection.(I didn't have a title in mind so have this really cringey one)
Relationships: Erik "Maverick" Thorn/Håvard "Ace" Haughland
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21





	Wanna Watch a Vine Compilation?

Ace stretched his arm as wide as it could go, motioning to the large number of base staff currently cleaning up the arena from today’s training session. _“Look at all those chickens!”_ Dokkabei snorted, which evolved into a hearty laugh. Ace laughed too, finding some happiness in making his teammates smile after such a rough day.

“It should _not_ have been that funny," Dokkabei said, gently shoving Ace. They had flat-out lost their training exercise, a 0 - 4 against Caveira and her hand-picked ragtag group as a form of payback at Grace for something that happened a while back. _Surprised she hasn’t let that go yet…_ “You’re stupid.”

“Kind of.” Ace replied, walking alongside Dokkabei as they headed back to the locker room. “My shoulder is going to bruise after that death grip Cav had on me…” He groaned as he sat on the bench with a heavy thud, turning away from Dokkabei as she started to undress. “I think she might have cracked it, or something.”

Dokkabei laughed as she unstrapped her chest plate and the rest of her protective gear, quickly sliding into a t-shirt and her sweatpants. “I wouldn’t put it past her. She gets…vicious when she’s angry.” Dokkabei slapped on her beanie and then her glasses then turned to Ace, who was already unzipping his bright, red jumpsuit. The upper half fell to his waist, revealing a black muscle shirt underneath. He stretched and then winced as his shoulder popped.

“Ouch.”

“Better?” She asked, stuffing things in her locker and grabbing her bag. Ace sighed, nodding, and turned to his locker to unlace his boots. He threw them inside lazily, then rapidly undressed. He kept his muscle shirt on and merely threw on some pajama pants. He slipped his aching feet into some fuzzy slippers and let out a sigh of relief.

"Way better. Post-training selfie?" Ace asked, pulling out his phone from his bag. Dokkabei waved him off.

"I am not picture ready, but I'll like another one of yours." She snickered, but Ace was already too busy picking an area to stand in. The lighting was good, and he already had an angle in mind—but all of that seemed to teeter when he caught someone stealing some glances. A smile formed on Ace’s lips as he recognized his teammate, Maverick. “Hey!”

_Shit!_ Maverick knew he had been caught. He couldn’t look away now because then it would be weird. _Fuck fuck fuck!_ Quickly, Maverick raised a hand to give an awkward wave. “Hey…” He managed a smile, but he felt heat flare beneath his scarf. “Sorry, was I standing in your background?” He said, trying quickly to find an excuse to get out of here. “I can move—”

“Maverick, yeah?” Ace asked, his smile just dazzling Maverick even further. “No, no! You’re fine, do you want to be in the picture? Come on!” He already snaked his arm around Maverick’s shoulder, causing Maverick to stiffen his body. He gulped as Ace was already lifting the phone to get the best angle in this locker room light, smiling like an angel. “Cheese!”

Maverick gave an awkward smile and held up a hand, feeling so stupid. The flash went off and Ace’s arm disappeared. He regarded Maverick with light blue eyes, his pale blonde hair messy and damp with sweat. “I…” Maverick struggled to find the words he needed, behaving like a fish out of water. “We sucked out there.” He said bluntly.

Ace blinked, then laughed a bit. "That we did. Though you did a lot of the heavy lifting, I feel bad for not picking it up." He said, pouting. Maverick slowly licked his lips, nodding. All the eliminations they had gotten were Maverick's, but it wasn’t enough with a vengeful skull was on the other team.

“No sweat… we’ll come back.” Maverick smiled, rubbing the back of his neck, then fiddling with the scarf around his neck. It had kept him sane during his lost years in Afghanistan, and now Maverick found it funny how it brought him solace when trying to talk to his crush. “You did great.”

The surprise came to those light blue eyes, along with a smile. It was Ace's turn to rub the back of his neck, now sheepish. “Stop, I got interrogated like twice. It cost us two matches. Though, I thank you for trying to make me feel better." Maverick glanced down at his boots—still in uniform. God, how he wanted to shrink into nothing. While standing here, talking to Ace was nice, a nagging voice in the back of Maverick’s head told him he was going to fuck it up.

The dreaded silence started to loom over their heads, which made Maverick mildly panic. _Shit, shit the conversation is dying—say something_. “So, uh, what was that thing you said, about the…chickens…?” He piped, a finger along the collar of his scarf. Ace blinked questioningly, then he snorted.

“Oh, it’s a quote from a Vine!" Ace regarded Maverick with a silly smile like Maverick was joking about it. _Of course, you know what a Vine is, right? You're kidding, right?_ Maverick cleared his throat, shaking his head.

"I never got the chance to catch up on things I missed while I was in service, you know? I was…concerned with other stuff." The immediate, soft frown on Ace’s face made Maverick regret his words. _You made him feel bad, dumbass! Now what?!_ “It’s uh, you know…” He shrugged.

"Oh, no that's fine. It's kind of a stupid thing, just to laugh," He shrugged his thin shoulders. Ace heard of the things that some of the other operators experienced before they got here. Some lost family, others lost themselves. Everyone had scars, and Ace felt like he had it easier than everyone else. Then again, the veteran operators who have been here longer, told Ace no experience is the same, and that his were still unique.

“It’s not stupid if it makes you happy.” Maverick let his hands slowly fall to his sides, a warm and tender smile on his face. Ace smiled back, shrugging again and chuckling. He ducked his head down, hiding a blush and a goofy grin.

"I have a compilation I could show you if you want to ever get into it…" Ace offered, bringing his phone up. “Are you in the R6 Discord? Grace made the server a while ago for everyone to have a space for things like this.”

Maverick sunk into the folds of his scarf again, hiding his face. He had a phone, but he barely used it for social purposes. All that time underground taught Maverick how to keep himself hidden, and the prospect of suddenly putting himself out there was strange to him. “Uh…”

“Tell you what,” Ace turned around and rummaged in his bag, finding a pen and a piece of scrap paper. He scribbled down his room number. “Whenever you get a chance for some downtime, come by my dorm room and maybe we can watch some?” He handed Maverick the paper and he took it with delicate fingers.

Maverick looked at the handwriting on the sheet, then at the owner. “I’ll be there.” Maverick nodded, holding the paper in his hands. Ace flashed a smile, firing the finger guns and then walking away. A warmth enveloped Maverick as he smiled, tucking the paper into his bag, and then running off to shower. Afterward, he made sure the paper was still there before taking off.

Ace _didn’t_ have to do this: Maverick could look this up on his own, but the opportunity to spend time with Ace was something he wasn’t going to pass up. The gentle smiles they had exchanged, the very noticeable blush on Ace’s pale skin, there was something there. Maverick thought about the first time they met. Kali had introduced them, and the loud Norwegian was eager to get to know everyone. He struck Maverick as obnoxious at first, but after a while, he saw some parts of his younger self in Ace: bright-eyed man, who was eager to serve and explore the world.

Nowadays, Maverick liked to be left alone. He kept himself in check, never fully pouring into an empty cup. He was someone people talked to when they needed a shoulder to rest on. Because of this, he could see who Ace was at his core: the need for validation, the underlying fear of being forgotten or dismissed as just another nobody. It felt invasive to know this much about someone who barely knew _him_ , but that was just how Maverick worked. Knowing this, Maverick wanted to move further, have Ace tell him these things personally.

Of course, he’d share too. Not too much though.

-

Ace was finally able to have a good day. He had gone on a small mission with Doc into an area that had been devastated by a hurricane, somewhere in the tropic. A news media team was there to cover the damage, and Ace was able to speak on behalf of Rainbow. Of course, the statements had been scripted and though Ace went off-page a bit, he was still able to convey their business. He took pictures with news team members who recognized him; he shook hands with locals who were thankful for him and his efforts; he spoke with the people who lives he saved. All of this went straight to Ace’s head, further elevating him on his pedestal. _The people love me, they love me!_

Then there was Maverick. They had the chance to spend some time together before Ace left. They watched their Vine compilation, which ended in laughs and good times. Afterward, Ace wanted to see more of Maverick. He was a genuinely nice guy, who seemed to understand people the way they needed to be understood. He gave people a safe space to speak their minds and hearts. Ace didn't expect this, but he found himself falling into that warm, safe space. Ace had asked Maverick about his time in the Army, and he told Ace about his life: his overbearing parents, then his service. 

"I went dark for two years, saw things, and did things no one should ever have to." Maverick's voice had been low and sad like he never fully tamed those demons. Ace held his hand and smiled at him.

“It’s ok.” He offered. It was all he _had_ to offer. But Maverick smiled back and held Ace’s hand tightly in his. Those eyes, the warmth, and attention they gave made Ace feel drunk with giddiness. “It _is_ going to be okay.” That made Ace’s heart swell, more so than any fan’s attention.

All the attention this time around—it felt…different. It felt _empty_. Ace frowned, furrowing his brows as this new reaction caught him off guard. The feelings of validation didn’t stay long. They withered quickly, leaving him feeling cold and empty. Every bit of his being wanted to phone Maverick, just to talk to him—ask him about his day, hear his voice and his goofy little laugh. _This…this doesn’t feel the same._

Unfortunately, cell service here was shit, so Ace had been reduced to correspondence by letters. It wasn’t that bad. Maverick had lovely handwriting, and at the end of each letter, he wrote his name in Arabic at the bottom. As of late, he had been starting his letters with _Habibi._ Doc was Algerian, so Ace had asked him what it meant. The answer made his pale skin go red, which made Doc chuckle softly.

Ace felt jumbled. For the first time, he found himself stumbling. _He’s made me feel this way. With his words, his heart…_ He frowned, suddenly longing for Maverick—Erik. Erik, Erik, Erik. His name, like nectar on his tongue; his smile warmer than the sun. _Fuck._ Inside his large, lonely tent, Ace finds himself longing for home. What would have been two months of milking media attention, suddenly became a prison he longed to escape.

A sudden, feverish need overtook Ace. He leaped for a pencil and paper, scratching out a letter than he needed to write—with feelings he needed to convey. But the time he gets back, something and someone special would be waiting for him.

-

The letter waiting in his mailbox was the light of Maverick's day. Each one told of the efforts Ace had gone through to save people trapped in buildings, medical aid he helped Doc with. Each tale and each letter only made Maverick sink deeper and deeper into his heart. Ace's true colors weren't that of a selfish, narcissistic prick: he needed validation; he didn't want to be forgotten. From their late-night talks, before he left, Ace told Maverick about how his family and village always gave him approval. That need followed him around and always left him craving more.

Of course, some saw that as vanity, but Maverick knew Ace was struggling. Each glance from those light blue, puppy dog eyes every time he did or said something told Maverick. The night before Ace left, Maverick held his hand, and told him it was going to be okay. He didn’t know it at the time, but Maverick had given Ace something to hold onto as he now eagerly waited to return home.

Today, Maverick was surprised to find two letters—both from Ace. One had his name on it, the other had _READ ME_ on the front. The energy in the air suddenly changed, and Maverick left back to his room to read the letters. He sent the other down and picked up _READ ME_. He opened the letter and down, unfolding the piece of paper.

_Min kjæreste_ _,_

_You’ve done it. You’ve enraptured me to the point where I can’t think of anything but you. All this time, I thought I had what I needed in life—a purpose and people to adore me for it. However, in the small time we managed to spend together, and the words we shared, I can’t see myself here anymore. I want to be there, with you. I know now what you were trying to tell me that night before I left. “It’s going to be okay.” I know that now! I know that, and I want to learn how to accept myself and see myself the way you do._

_Have my heart min kjæreste. If you’ll want it, that is. I can’t’ wait to finally see your shining face again._

_Much love,_

_Håvard_

A chill ran all over Maverick’s body, and he pressed the letter against his heart. “Håvard.” The chill was replaced by a warmth so intoxicating that it made Maverick smile from ear to ear. It startled some of the recruits nearby, who had never seen Specialist Erik “Maverick” Thorn smile with such rapture. His fingers itched to reply, but Ace would be home next week. He could wait. With the love letter against his chest, Maverick left back to his room to place it amongst his most treasured belongings.

The week went by at a snail's pace. The training was a breeze, though. Maverick was able to redeem his team by scoring a victory. Dokkabei laughed, pulling Maverick in by his shoulders. "Good shit out there!" Thermite said, patting Maverick on the back. "Looks like something's put a pip in your step. That's great!"

"Yeah, and I'm happy about it," Maverick said, smiling softly and letting Dokkabei hold onto him. _Soon._

-

The plane landing took forever. Ace wheeled his suitcase along and dashed off the plane. A whole bunch of people were there to welcome them back, but Ace was looking for a particular face in the sea of people. Once he saw it, he dashed for him.

Maverick walked past staff workers and made his way to Ace. “Håvard!”

“Erik!” Ace dropped the handle of his suitcase in favor of wrapping his arms around Maverick’s neck for a hug. Ace closed his eyes and felt tears prick the corners of them. He laughed, then pulled away, leaving a hand on the back of Maverick’s head. They laughed, smiling with the feeling of bubbles and butterflies in their chest. “Erik… _min kjæreste_.”

Maverick leaned in slowly, catching Ace’s frantic lips and all that rush of energy settled down. Ace’s eyes widened, followed by a sense of calm. He closed his eyes, falling into the kiss with the tenderness he had been holding onto for weeks. “ _Habibi_ ,” Maverick whispered after pulling away from Ace’s quivering lips. “I’ll have your heart. In exchange for mine.” Maverick smiled, slowly looping their fingers together.

Ace laughed, pressing his forehead against Maverick’s, finding himself at home. “Of course, of course! Anything…” The spectators whistled and clapped, supporting them in this milestone achievement. Doc stepped off the plane and smiled wearily, wondering where Mike was right now. “How about we go have some dinner, yeah?” Ace asked, happily diving in for another kiss.

Maverick happily accepted it and pressed his forehead against Ace’s again. “I would very much like that. I can show you all those meme compilations I found while you were gone.” That made Ace laugh happily and warmly.

“Ok, sounds like a date.”

**Author's Note:**

> min kjæreste - my dearest  
> habibi - my love 
> 
> Pashto is the official language of Afghanistan but I couldn't find any clear translations (that weren't Google Translate) for it so I went with Arabic, so please forgive me.
> 
> Also this was supposed to be a shitpost, but it took a life of its own and now here I am, Rarepair Hell and screaming into the Void :')
> 
> Hope yall enjoy it though! <3


End file.
